Buying Habits and Respect for the Style

We all know I buy a lot of discs. Most of what I pick up is pulled from used bins, whether I do it or someone else does and then mails it to me. Here's the weird thing. Ask me what my favorite style of music is, and I'll tell you 80s rock, hard rock, old school rock in general. But I'm never inclined to pay full price for these albums. I'm always coming across them and putting them back. Same with metal, or most other styles. I rely on used bins.

But when it comes to prog, either rock or metal, I buy at regular price. Why is that? I was thinking about it today, after I came across this album by Unitopia, a band I'd never heard of until spying it on the shelf earlier today. I checked out the cover, flipped the thing over, saw Inside Out was the label, and instantly my mind was made up. And I've done this countless times. But only with progressive music, a style I'm relative new to.

Take the Unsun disc I bought as well. I've seen it before, wanted it, too. It's been on sale for $9.99 at Newbury Comics since it's release--or since they stocked it. But $9.99 was too much. It's female-fronted gothic metal, a style I also really dig. But I waited until I found it used. Why?

So I wonder: Do I respect progressive music more? I think I do. I think a lot more work goes into making this kind of album than your standard rock/metal album, and I respect that. Or is it because the used bins don't often hold those progressive gems. I rarely find prog used. Hmmm...

That's what I thought about tonight, while running errands. I saw another CD I want, too, but one new CD is enough for this week. The band is Beardfish. Anyone heard them? This CD was part two or a set, I guess. Never seen part one around here. Looks like I'd dig it.

I think you're just weird.

When I'm after a CD, I don't pay attention to what genre it is, I pay attention to price. Now granted, I will pay more for CDs I know are rare, but genre has nothing to do with it.

I like what I like and if I want a CD, regardless of genre, I go after it. And if I think the price I find it too steep, unless it's a rarity, I pass.

Prog is an interesting genre and one of my favs. I think it is just by complete coincidence that you only seem to spend more on Prog. Granted I don't think that Prog is a popular genre therefore maybe less Prog is found in used bins and what not.

i do the same with gore death/grind. perhaps i'm just more inclined to spend full price on albums i know have that outrageous artwork. i'm both a huge art nut as well as metal, so that's all i can come up with. i just know i end up paying full price for a death/grind band i've never heard of, and only a fraction for a band of any other genre. it's strange i admit.

I respect your philosophy, Eye, but that's not how it goes for me. I will only spend full price for my all time favorite bands (from any genre) or something I feel I have no chance (or a very slim chance) of getting it cheaper in the used bin. I think that everyone has that number in their head of what they will pay for a given album and only they know what that price is when they see it.

For me it doesn't matter on price at all I buy alot of imports and limited editions. As of late I've been buying alot from amazon and most of what I buy is usually under $10 and stuff I once had on vinyl from the 70's.

I rarely buy from chains like Best Buy but if I go in there I will spend a couple hours going thru the music sections of rock and blues. But I buy almost 99% of my music online. To me it doesn't matter on price or genres although what I do buy is most power, progressive, thrash, traditional.......blues!

Wargod49

I don't buy anything at all online. I am going to start though b/c there is about a hundred cd's on my current want list that I am not seeing at Newbury Comics and I will have to get them on Ebay, Amazon, or other online shops.

mc666 wrote:

i do the same with gore death/grind. perhaps i'm just more inclined to spend full price on albums i know have that outrageous artwork. i'm both a huge art nut as well as metal, so that's all i can come up with. i just know i end up paying full price for a death/grind band i've never heard of, and only a fraction for a band of any other genre. it's strange i admit.

That's similar, yeah. I also think it's confidence. Prog bands, like I said, put a lot of work into their music. I mean, some of this stuff is not Music for Dummies. So maybe my confidence is higher when it comes to prog?

There are obviously some bands that I pay full price regardless, as soon as it's released. But the non-favorites, it's prog that gets the treatment. It's also probably the style of music that is most new to me, so maybe that's it.

Crap...too much thinking in this thread. Haha.

I basically buy everything used except for bands that I want to support 100%.

Interesting thread...

I personally buy 99.9% of the cd's I have second hand, from pawn shops and the like. And like a few I buy the cd's that strike my fancy: everything from ABBA to Armored Saint to Sinatra to Slayer. Its all about whats cheap. Fortunately here in Seattle there are plenty of shops like this...

I buy everything at full price. I am in no way a cd collector and usually buy cds from bands i like only. I will occasionally take a risk on something but I do a lot of research into what I am going to buy.

I am very picky about the music I like. I have a friend who collects cds and if he thinks I will like something he sends me the cd in CDR form.

I try to buy used whenever I can but I do buy plenty of new CDs because it's hard to find some bands used. Now that my favorite music store has shut down I will have to get most of mine from Best Buy, Wal-Mart, or the internet. Online I usually go to Amazon because you can find almost any album used.

DallasBlack wrote:

I try to buy used whenever I can but I do buy plenty of new CDs because it's hard to find some bands used.

Exactly the boat I float in. If I feel I have a good shot at finding it used I will wait a while, but if it's something obscure, rare, or I just really want it, I will grab it whatever is the going rate. Peace.

I try to stick to a list of CDs and music DVDs that I want and usually try to find them used on Amazon or ebay. I once in a while frequent pawnshops and flea markets but that is always hit or miss as far as what you may or may not find.

I'm a cheap b**tard so it all boils down to price for me.

I buy probably 90% of stuff used. The price and the fact I love digging through the used bins is what drives that. I also have reluctantly come to enjoy scouring for used deals online. Mainly hoping something pops up at a decent price on amazon or secondspin. In some ways getting my mail every night is fast becoming the new afternoon at the used record store.

I never find any prog stuff used. I always figured it was because people who are into it are really into it thus they aren't trading stuff back in.